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tmoore View Drop Down
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Joined: 01 Nov 07
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Posts: 880 		Post Options Post Options   Quote tmoore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Block Choice
    Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 12:38pm

i personally preferred my ronstan/ freddie block over the harken carbo autoratchets i have on my 300. i have never had any block break. Have seen many seize up on club boats - poor maintenance. i am new to the sport (3rd year) so believe im relatively un-biased.

My 300 came with one of the old holt (grey) blocks with becket and it still works nice and smooth as it has been well looked after/ lubed up. Only fault i can see with it is the relatively small diameter. used the new holts on school rs500's and they look great, are very light, runs lovely and smooth and are relatively cheap (also have the hole to dead end ropes on). only downside i see is the thin 'u' shaped piece of metal to attach the block with - looks a bit thin.

only problem i have had with the new holt autoratchets is when threaded through the wrong way . i personally think theres nothing between the blocks if they are well looked after. advantages of harkens - look SEXY and have a better image.

one thing though, the holt laser kicker is BAD. i never saw one which didnt have a twist in it. all top racers use the harken - for a reason. might be worth a redesign (?).
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Skiffe View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Jun 05
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Posts: 220 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Skiffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 12:52pm

On my 12 we use Fredrickson ratchets and the x-small Fredrickson block for take ups.

Almost all the other blocks are harken micro (16mm) lighter and more breaking strain than anything else

or harken  40mm carbo again weight for strength.

1 ronstan high load block

2 ronstan exit boxes (the harken one is hard to find)

cleats all sml either harken metal (wear resistance) or ronstan carbon (lightness) except for one spinlock clutch for the tackline.

 

Mr Allen if you want to support the fastest 12 footer (have a look at the speed freaks part of this site) then let me know.
12footers. The Only Way to FLY

Remember Professionals built the titanic, Amateurs built the ark.
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tmoore View Drop Down
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Joined: 01 Nov 07
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Posts: 880 		Post Options Post Options   Quote tmoore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 12:58pm

sorry to digress, but doesnt that jib look VERY triangular (i know its the angle and the fact its eased)

is this your new 12fter arrived over from down south?
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Skiffe View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Jun 05
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Posts: 220 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Skiffe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 12:59pm
Originally posted by Iain C

And to answer Allen's question...

What I would like to see would be a lightweight 30mm sheave block with large shaped aluminium (or titanium!) sides for use as halyard turning blocks at the top of skiff masts.

Plastic ones are crap, as if you have an iffy hoist with the kite blowing off to leeward, the halyard just saws through the side plate ruining it, and making things jam next time.  I'd like to see the sides quite thick but with suitable smooth cutouts to allow the halyard to enter the block at funny angles but still be kind to the halyard itself.  It might also want to have a much less pronounced hollow in the sheave itself to allow for unusual angles, basically make the tops of the U much lower if you catch my drift, (the U being the top of the sheave, with the halyard running in the bottom "catch water" part of the letter U..).

The system I use is a sml harken (16mm) skakled to a modified 3/16 sadle.The mod is a sml tag welded to the front.

The halyard exits the mast about 12" down from the tip and works very well.
12footers. The Only Way to FLY

Remember Professionals built the titanic, Amateurs built the ark.
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Chris Bridges View Drop Down
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Joined: 14 Nov 07
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Posts: 699 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Chris Bridges Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 2:01pm
For some reason I might be buying Design Source which has just come back with the other 12s from NZ. I think I have gone crazy . I want to live to 20!! 12s do look like so much fun though...

Edited by Chris Bridges
49er GBR735 (for sale) - Rutland SC
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Skiffybob View Drop Down
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Joined: 04 Dec 06
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Posts: 842 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Skiffybob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 2:08pm

is this your new 12fter arrived over from down south?

You've got the wrong person, Skiffe lives in Aus. There are three coming into the UK this year, which are...

This one

This one

and this one
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tmoore View Drop Down
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Posts: 880 		Post Options Post Options   Quote tmoore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 3:13pm

Originally posted by Chris Bridges

For some reason I might be buying Design Source which has just come back with the other 12s from NZ. I think I have gone crazy . I want to live to 20!! 12s do look like so much fun though...

why??? if you cant find a crew fr the 49er, surely a 12ft skiff is going to be harder to find a crew for?
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tmoore View Drop Down
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Posts: 880 		Post Options Post Options   Quote tmoore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 3:16pm
anyway, back to blocks, just thought of one fault of holt ratchets - they are NOISY, you can hear them from miles off. so you cant pump on waves etc. and when upwind if your easing and sheeting in a lot because of chop it looks like you pumping.
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Chris Bridges View Drop Down
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Joined: 14 Nov 07
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Posts: 699 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Chris Bridges Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 4:06pm
Originally posted by tmoore

Originally posted by Chris Bridges

For some reason I might be buying Design Source which has just come back with the other 12s from NZ. I think I have gone crazy . I want to live to 20!! 12s do look like so much fun though...

why??? if you cant find a crew fr the 49er, surely a 12ft skiff is going to be harder to find a crew for?

I have someone that will definitely crew a 12 for me, you don't have to be as heavy for a 12!

edit: and I think I have found a crew for 49er now, although we couldn't get out today as the sails are being repaired. Some hanks that were annoying me and the zip on the main was also annoying me so having it replaced.



Edited by Chris Bridges
49er GBR735 (for sale) - Rutland SC
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ColH View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Jan 06
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Posts: 242 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ColH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Mar 08 at 7:21pm

Originally posted by Chris Bridges

For some reason I might be buying Design Source which has just come back with the other 12s from NZ. I think I have gone crazy . I want to live to 20!! 12s do look like so much fun though...

Those boat fees are going to be rocketing!  £106.50 a time? ouch  

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